Steerable sled.



F. W. H. CLAY.

I STBERABLE SLED. APTLIOATION FILED 192.13.14, 1908.

944,773, Patented Dec. 28,1909.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES; JMWymvzm-ron F. W. H. CLAY. I STEBRABLE SLED. APPLICATIONFILED 113.14, 1908. I

' Patentd Dec. 28,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS W. H. CLAY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEEBABLE SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 14, 1908. Serial No. 415,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS 7. H. CLAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at. Pittsburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Steerable Sleds, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to steering means for coasting sleds, ice-boats,and similar devices, its primary object being to accomplish the steeringor change of direction by flexing the shoe or runner between fixed ends.

steerable sleds have heretofore been made having runners adapted to bebodily bent or deflected at the front end; but in these the part bentout of alinement is frequently not in contact with the ground and theaction is irregular and uncertain; whereas in my invention the bodyportion of the shoe or metal wearing strip attached by its ends to arigid runner is flexed at the middle part, between the ends, where theweight is supported, thus causing the defiection to immediately act atthe most sensitive positionand with certainty, and obtaining a change ofdirection with the least possible amount of movement.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown several forms of the inventionas applied to common coasting sleds with wooden runners.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sled provided 'with foot-controlled levermechanism for defleeting the runner shoes, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial under plan, showing theconnections between the operating elements and the shoe. Fig. 1 is anenlarged vertical section on the line IV, IV, of Fig. 2. Fig.5 is atransverse sectional view of a sled showing a modified construction ofdeflecting mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line VI, VI,thereof. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section, showing a modifiedconstruction adapted to utilize the weight of the rider thrown to oneside or the other to steer the sled, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsection on the line VII, VII, thereof. Fig. 9 is a cross section throughone side of a sled illustrating a further modified construction, andFig. 10 is a sectional view indicated by the line X, X, of Fig. 9. Fig.11 is a detail lan view, indicated by the sectional line .4 I, XI, ofFig. 9 showing the engagement of the lever with a pin on the shoe. Fig.12

is a partial cross sectional view of a sled showing a constructionsimilar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, but with the treadle bar locatedbeneath the top, and Fig. 13 is a cross section on the line XIII, XIII,of Fig. 12.

The invention is designed to use any convenient means for impartinglateral fiexure to the shoes of the sled, either utilizing hand orfoot-controlled levers, or mechanism so connected with a rocking top ofthe sled as to be actuated by shifting the weight of the rider,or anyother suitable means, and though the drawings show wooden sleds providedfor illustrationwith some of such various means,the invention is in noway lim- Patented Dec.28,1909.

ited to any particular constructionfor bendmg the shoe or runner nearits mlddle. In

the drawings the shoes 2 of the runners are rigidly connected withthemat the front and back ends, 4 and 5 respectively, leaving the Yintervening portionsof the shoes free and usually bowed downwardly belowthe midf dle-portion of the runners. For steering this middle portion isdeflected to one side or the other.

I11 Figs. 1 to II havefshown the sled" as provlded with afoot-controlled lever 6 PlV': J

otally mounted at 7 and having a middle lever arm 8 connectedby apivotal bolt 9 with a laterally shifting rod 10. This is connected bylevers 15 to the shafts 11, mounted at each side in or upon the runners3, provided at their lower ends with cranks 12 having terminal pins 13fitting into sockets or recesses 14 extending partially or entirelythrough the shoes 2. By this construction, when the lever 6 is deflectedin one direction or the other, movement will be imparted through arms 8and 10 to each crank pin 11 which in turnwill shift the shoes together,throwing both. in the same direction and bowing their middle portionsoutwardly to one side, thereby causing the sled to veer toward the otherside.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the treadle lever 6 is pivotallymounted on the sled bymeans of a vertical stem 7 to which it is keyed or se-' sockets 14 ofthe shoes or otherwise engage 7 them, so that the shoes are directlybowed outwardly at their middle portions between the fixed ends byoperating the foot treadle in the direction corresponding to the desireddirection of deflection.

When it is desired to utilize the pressure or weight of the body, thesled top l6 may be directly connected with lever mechanism as by theconstruction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, utilizing bell-crank levers 17pivoted at 18 upon a cross bar 19, said levers having an upper arm 20bearing up underneath the sled top at each side and connected therewithif desired by any suitable means as a staple 21. The other arm 22 of thelever extends downwardly directly into a receiving socket 23, in theshoe or is connected with it in any other suitable manner. The top 16 ismounted on the sides or frame of the sled in any desired way to providerocking movement of its side edges.

In the drawings I have shown the top as provided with a cross cleat 24Epivotally mounted midway of the sides by bolt 25 in cross bar 19. Bythis construction, upon bearing downwardly at one side or the other ofthe sled, the shoes will be deflected or bowed in opposite direction,thereby causing the sled to veer toward that side upon which pressure isexerted. This makes the steering practically automatic, as the riderunconsciously leans over in the direction he wishes to go.

The same results may be secured. by the construction shown in Figs. 9,10 and 11, wherein levers 26 are pivotally mounted within the sides 3*at their upper portions upon pivotal bearings 27 said levers havingupper arms 28 provided with terminals bearing up underneath or securedto the top 16 in any suitable manner as indicated at 29. The other armof lever 26 extends downwardly. below such pivotal bearing and isprovided with a horizontal flat portion 30, extending between the loweredges of the side 3 and the shoe 2", and having an inclined slot 31engaging a pin or abutment 32 of the shoe. By this construction downwardmovement of the arm 28 of lever 26 at one side or the other will imparta corresponding movement of shoe 3O laterally of the runner and side. Bythis form, the shoe is held securely whenever placed, causing lat eralmovement of the shoe by engagement with pin 32 in the manner of a wedgeor cam, producing the desired deflection and resulting veer of the sled.

It will be observed that in the construction just described and in thatof Figs. 7 and 8, the downward pressure at one side of the top of thesled and a.correspondingupward move ment to the other side, as when thetop is mounted for lateral rocking, will impart motion to the levermechanism at each side of the sled respectively, producing the desiredflexure of the levers in the same direction either to the right or left,depending on the side of the top which is depressed.

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown a construction generally similar to thearrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to at inclusive, employing, thelateral shifting bar 10, the rotatable shafts 11 having cranks l2 withterminal pins 13 fitting into sockets or recesses 14, the shafts havingat their upper ends lever arms 15 pivotally connected at 16 with theshifting arm 10. Said arm is actuated toward one side or the other bythe foot-controlled lever or treadle 6 pivotally mounted at- Tunderneath the top of the sled and provided with the middle lever arm 8pivotally connected at 9 with the laterally arranged shifting arm 10, inthe same manner generally as has been already described. The mounting ofthe treadle in the present case however, is entirely underneath the topof the sled and projecting outwardly at each side through suitableopenings 33 in the sides of the sled and beyond it sufliciently far toprovide treadle bearings. The advantage of such construction is that theactuating lever mechanism is entirely below the top surface of the sledand in no way interferes with its use.

Various other means may be employed for producing the lateral deflectionof the shoes at their middle, and the points of engage ment of thedeflecting mechanism with the runners may be vari ed to suit theconstruc tion the principal object being to apply the pressure to therunners at some point between their fiXed ends, to produce the lateralbowing. It will be observed that by deflecting these portions of therunners which are in contact with the track way, the resulting effect indeflecting the sled will be more immediately produced, than when theupwardly and forwardly extending front ter minals of the runners aredeflected, such portions being ordinarily entirely above the track andaway from contact therewith. For these reasons a comparatively slightfieXure of the shoes at their middle portions will produce immediate andmaterial change in direction of the sled with a comparatively slighteffort.

The invention may be changed or varied by the skilled mechanic indifferent details, it may be applied to iceboats and sleds of allconstructions and does notrequire any particular design of the sled orof its operating mechanism, and all such changes or variations are to beconsidered as within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use what I claimas new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is the following:

1. A sled having rigid runners and later ally flexible bearing shoes andmeans adapted for actuation by shifting the weight of the rider,operating to flex said shoes and steer the sled,

2. A coasting sled provided with rigid runners and shoes attached atfront and back to the runner and having intervening laterally flexiblebearing portions, and means for applying lateral pressure to saidbearing portions.

3. A sled having rigid runners and a frame and a rocking seat, andmechanism to change the course of the sled by the rocking of said seat,substantially as described.

l. The combination with a rigid sled having bearing shoes attached tothe sides of the sled at each end, of means adapted to receive movementfrom shifting the weight of the body of a rider and connections tothereby cause lateral flexing of the middle portlions of the shoes,substantially as set fort 1.

5. A sled having rigid runners and flexible runner shoes, a top withvertically movable parts, and lever mechanism connecting the top andshoes by which the shoes are laterally flexed by moving the top.

6. A sled having a cross-bar pivoted to swing and connections from saidbar to the runner shoes to directly deflect them near in presence of twoWitnesses.

FRANCIS W. H. CLAY. Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE,

CHAS. S. LEPLEY.

